


Sharing Cigarettes - a Grease Jopper AU

by justpeachytea



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Romance, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 14:58:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20342023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justpeachytea/pseuds/justpeachytea
Summary: Exactly what it says in the title! It's also a play on the scene in season 2 where Joyce and Hopper reminisce about sharing cigarettes in between classes in high school.





	Sharing Cigarettes - a Grease Jopper AU

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this after season 2 and didn't finish it but I picked it back up recently and here we are!

Joyce Horowitz was very much untouchable, at least to Jim Hopper. As the slow descent from summer heat began; a sticky sweet August to a chillier September, the leaves becoming crisper and turning the ever vibrant warm tones, the school year started again. Complete with shrill bells and messy hallways littered with paper, Hop couldn't help but wonder if maybe this would be the year a certain girl's mischievous brown eyes could meet his own for more than a second at a time. Specifically Joyce Horowitz, a sweet, bubblegum badass pink lady who never gave him the time of day. Despite this fact, Jim Hopper—Hop, as many called him—a greaser who could have almost any lady he pleased, pink lady included, had a schoolboy crush on the one girl he couldn't have. Maybe it had to do with the fact he lost his cool around her, hopelessly fondling at things to say before she turned around and walked away, with a smile on her face, humored by his boyish foolishness. As the years in high school continued Hopper began to control his feelings a bit more, however, his crush only seemed to intensify. He occasionally would come up to her locker, lovesick smirk on his lips with a cigarette behind his ear, offering to carry her books for her and walk her to class, with the usual slam of a locker, amused smile, flash of pink jacket around her shoulders and swish of her chestnut hair in response. Although heartbroken after every routine response, it almost made Hopper fall for her more. She was the one he couldn’t have. 

Being a greaser had its perks, and one of them was definitely having communications with the pink ladies, it was almost a given that a greaser would acquire a pink lady girlfriend if he was straight. Hop was actually quite a pretty boy, and there were definitely some pink ladies who wanted a piece of him, and although he'd be considered foolish as a greaser for not taking any lady who showed interest, he only had eyes for Joyce. Not that other girls weren’t sweet, but it felt like girls always talked to him because they were interested in him, and he just wasn’t attracted to that pressure. But, he and his friends were close with the ladies, and that meant seeing Joyce on a fairly regular basis, and occasionally having a conversation with her, although usually one sided. This however, was enough interaction for him to see the soft, sweet side of her, which, in fact, was all of her. Although the pink ladies had a bit of a reputation of being cool and stand-offish, Joyce Horowitz completely shattered that reputation. She was kindhearted, always saving a seat for a friend at lunch, helping a classmate or fellow lady study—she was a very good student—or even frequently complimenting people she didn't know very well, and being genuine and speaking her mind. Hopper couldn't help but feel a bit mushy inside when he noticed this niceness. However, she was nearly the complete opposite around him. Joyce's friends would frequently ask about Hopper, although they were used to him being around, they still pestered her about why she let him. "He's...nice." Joyce confessed. "I know he likes me, but he's never done anything rude or harmful to me or any of you guys, right?" She asked. Her fellow ladies contemplated for a few moments.  
"I guess not." Karen admitted. "But he's such a pretty boy. Walking around like he owns the school and everything."  
"And I suppose Ted Wheeler is just some scholar, huh ?" Joyce knew that was who Karen had eyes for, and she didn't mind poking fun at the older college student, superbly boring in Joyce's mind. Anyone else was a catch in comparison.   
"Enough, Joyce." Karen cracked a smile. "I just don't understand why you let him come around when you're not interested in him."   
"I have a feeling he's not gonna stop, Kare. And besides, just because we're not super close doesn't mean we're not friends. Aside from the occasional pining, he's a perfectly pleasant person to be around, especially compared to some of the morons that inhabit this school. Seriously, some of these boys are total meatheads."   
"Or total jerks."  
"Exactly. That's why I don't mind keeping Hop around. Might as well be him than someone else."  
"Whatever you say, Joyce."

Suddenly the familiar school bell sounded, warning them to head back to class after their lunch break. "I'll be back with you all in a sec. I need a cigarette." Joyce rummaged through her bag for a pack of Camels. "Fuck!" She pulled out an empty pack. "Jesus, does anyone have one?" She was met with murmurs of 'no's and shaking heads. "Guess I'll have to ask some poor girl in the bathroom. I hate asking others for things." Joyce trudged to the bathroom, annoyed at herself that somehow she managed to keep an empty cigarette pack, completely fooling herself. She knew she'd either be late to class or without a cigarette, but a habit was hard to kick. She walked in, asking the girls in there, to no avail. Embarrassed, she left the room quickly.   
"Hey, uh, Joyce?" There was Jim Hopper, alone in the stairwell adjacent to the bathrooms. Joyce sighed as a smile crept onto her face.  
"Of course you have a cigarette. Now, be honest. Were you waiting for me?" Joyce questioned, crossing her arms.  
"I wasn't! Honest. I smoke between periods almost every day. Usually in the boys bathroom, though." Joyce looked at the boy in front of her, totally amused by how quickly a popular boy transformed into a sheepish schoolboy. 

“Just give me a light, would you?” Her half-smile made his eyes light up. She stood on her tiptoes and took the cigarette from behind Hopper’s ear and held it out for him to light in between her fingers. He chucked, wondering how she even managed to sneak it so quickly. He gave her a light, and they both leaned against the wall underneath those stairs. Hopper began to speak again, his voice soft and low, unlike the deep, full enthusiasm per usual. “I’m surprised you even let me give you one. Or, yknow, stayed.” 

“I don’t hate you, you know that right?” Joyce scoffed, wondering how he was serious. “People make it out like you’re some big annoyance in my life. I kinda thought we were friends, in a weird way. Yeah you’re always on the chase, but I don’t feel weird when you’re around. It doesn’t really bother me. You’re honestly the only guy who gives me some not totally objectifying attention anyway. You were always sincere. You liked me cause you thought I was smart, and sweet. And I appreciate that. Everyone else calls me babe, but they just throw it at me. It’s an empty word. You never actually /did/ anything. You never talked about how good i’d look in bed, you just offer to carry my books, and talk. I don’t mind that. You’ve always been sweet to me.” Joyce breathed, leaning back, and took a drag. 

“I never thought of it like that.” Hopper stated blankly. 

“Yeah, you stayed. Not me. There were so many girls you could’ve been with a lot easier, sure. But you earned my attention. You actually cared about what I had to say.”

“Well I—“ A breathy laugh exited his lips as he thought of what to say. “You deserved it. The attention, I mean. You do have a lot of good things to say. And you definitely know how to put a boy in his place. You don’t need me, Joyce. But if I can be just that person who listens, that’s enough for me.” 

“Thank you, Hop.” She took her final drag of her cigarette. “Now, if you want to talk over a milkshake or something, you know who to call.” She pulled out a scrap of paper and pen from her bag and wrote down her number for him, blue pen in her neat handwriting. He stood there, dumbfounded. Joyce giggled softly. “Stop that. Take it. I gotta go to class now, I suppose.” Playfully she got up on her tiptoes again and looked him in the eyes. Gently, she planted a quick kiss on his lips, nearly just grazing them.   
She smiled again and lowered herself as he registered what happened. He settled on a blush, but with a big, boyish grin. His large frame seemed too tough to appear so boyish, but it was so candid. “I’ll call you, Joyce.” 

“Not during dinner you won’t. My folks don’t like being interrupted.” She grinned again.

"Well, after then." Hopper began to walk away shyly. He hoped they'd have more conversations like this over milkshakes soon.


End file.
